The Exodus
by Tanahamondo
Summary: It's been years since the Battle of the Leroys, and Kauai has an ever increasing experiment population. Lilo is a full member of the Galactic Federation Council, and Stitch is her ever loyal companion, with children of his own. However, when tragedy strikes the small island, the experiments are forced to leave Kauai behind, and find a new home somewhere among the stars.
1. Prologue

In the back of his mind, he registered the faint patter of rain against the roof. He could hear the wind howling outside, and in the blink of an eye he could calculate its speed and direction. He could hear the rustling of a bird in the woods behind the house, settling into its nest to wait out the storm. If he focused, he could even hear all the way to Kokaua Town, listening in on the conversations between his cousins. If he tried right then, he would have heard Sparky fretting about the leaks in the lighthouse roof, Richter engaging in a discussion with Yaarp over the increased military presence on Kauai, and Slushy's exasperated efforts to keep himself dry, lest the rain build up an irritating ice-shell around his body.

Stitch could have heard all of this if he wanted to. And yet, he cared not. Sitting in the Pelekai living room, away from the prying eyes of tourists and natives, the blue-furred koala-like creature had his extra limbs extended, his antennae exposed, and his spines visible. Among ohana, he need not hide his foreign anatomy. And especially now, he cared very little if his alien physique disturbed any observers, for his attention was completely occupied by something else.

He sat at the head of the couch, gently stroking a soft pink-furred paw, whispering words of encouragement in his native tongue. Lying on the couch was a similar koala-like experiment. She was a delicate shade of pink, which many-a-foe interpreted as meaning she was weak, much to their disadvantage once she tore them limb from limb. Angel was nearly as strong as Stitch, and could use a telepathic siren song to enslave almost any creature to her will, if she wanted to. She was equally indestructible, fireproof, bulletproof, and deathly fearful of large expanses of water. And for the first time in her life, she was experiencing pain.

Also present in the living room was a concerned Lilo, trying her best not to get overexcited. The 11-year-old Hawaiian girl was dressed in her favorite red muumuu, and she held a camera in her quivering hands, ready to photograph any developments at a moment's notice. She stood on the other side of the room, pressed between the television set and the bookcase which sat next to the front door. Her feet shuffled nervously as she peered at her best friend fretting over his mate.

On the other end of the couch was Dr. Jumba Jookiba, behaving in an atypically calm and collected manner. In his hand he held a strange, disc-shaped device with four metal tentacles protruding from its rim. He held the device over Angel's abdomen, who was whimpering fearfully as she watched the metal tendrils scan her torso with bluish lights. Beads of sweat were running down his head, stinging his four eyes, and despite his calm demeanor, he was obviously very concerned.

Stitch turned his head and stared at his creator, worry and hope in his solid black eyes. Finally, after reading the strange numbers displaying across the device's surface, he breathed with obvious relief and pulled away from Angel's swollen belly.

"624 is being fine," he spoke softly. "Is normal level of labor pain."

Both Stitch and Lilo simultaneously released similar loud sighs. Angel looked at Stitch with tired eyes, and a small smile crossed her face, before being replaced by a grimace. Lilo stepped up to the couch, snapping a photograph of Stitch standing over his mate protectively as a grin started to form on his face.

"Are… Are they… healthy?" He nervously asked.

"Indeed they are, 626," Jumba replied. "Three perfectly healthy, perfectly destructive experiments!" He started to cackle a little at the thought of the chaotic progeny of his creations. How much wanton destruction could come from an increasingly larger experiment population? The mere thought brought back memories of his former career as a self-proclaimed "Evil Genius."

"They are being excellent specimens for-"

"Naga."

Jumba looked at Stitch curiously, and a little irritated that he interrupted his anarchic fantasy. Lilo had a similarly puzzled expression.

"What's wrong Stitch?" Lilo asked cautiously. His face had become stone-cold serious, the former giddy grin completely erased.

"Yes, what is meaning of rude interruption?" Jumba huffed out.

Stitch stared his creator in his four eyes, a look of defiance crossing his face. He still struggled with the English language, his mind having been hardwired for Tantalog. As a result, forming sentences was difficult for him, unlike his cousin Reuben who was programmed with superior language-processing abilities. But occasionally, situations necessitated him to speak, and he haphazardly forced out sentences to get his meaning across completely. And in this moment, Stitch demanded to be heard.

"Jumba made cousins. But…" Stitch leaned over and caressed Angel's swollen womb with his paw, "youga did not… make them. Meega did. And Angel."

Stitch's voice took on a tone of determined pride as he continued to his dumfounded audience. "We… naga… your 'experiments' anymore… We are new species. And we… naga be called 'experiments' again. We naga belong to youga."

Stitch turned away from Jumba, and gently kissed Angel's forehead as her body clenched in pain again.

Jumba was visibly offended by Stitch's statement, his brow furrowing in indignation. Thoroughly frustrated, Jumba yelled, "What should we be calling you then? I made you! You cannot be changing your legacy! You are MY creations!"

Stitch coldly looked at his maker, and simply stated "Naga anymore." Jumba glared at Stitch for a moment, trying to think of something properly insulting, before huffing loudly in defeat and stomping into the hallway. He could be heard muttering angrily as he banged up the stairs into his the room he shared with Pleakley, both Angel and Stitch cringing when he slammed the door. Then Stitch felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he turned to look at his best friend. Lilo was gazing at him with a supportive, comforting smile.

Nervously she spoke softly, "You know, Jumba does bring up a valid point. If we can't call you 'experiments,' what should we call you?"

Stitch's eyes partially closed in concentration for a moment, his back spines twitching involuntarily. Finally he stated "Meega not sure. Want name that means something about cousins."

Lilo tried to understand what he meant. "You want a new name for the cousins?"

"Ih! A special name!"

Suddenly Stitch froze, obviously sensing something Lilo did not, and then quickly leaped to Angel's side, covering her large ears as a loud "BOOM!" shook the house. Lilo screamed, and Stitch cringed in pain as his sensitive ears ringed with the powerful thunder. The electricity suddenly went out, and faint rain-filtered light spilled over the wood floor from the window.

A profound silence filled the house, disturbed only by the dulled sounds of the weather raging outside. The silence was broken moments later by Lilo whispering softly, "I hope Nani is okay…"

Lilo's tone carried with it a morbid fear, and Stitch understood exactly why thunder made her nervous. It was the same reason why she used to feed peanut butter sandwiches to a fish she believed controlled the weather, and the same reason why she had been raised by her sister. Stitch momentarily left Angel's side, and carefully approached Lilo, who was trembling in fear in the middle of the floor. Stitch carefully wrapped his four arms around her, embracing her in a gentle hug. He whispered into her ear, "Meega can hear Nani from here. She's okitaka."

Pulling away from Stitch's comforting arms, she looked into his black eyes fondly, enjoying the gentle kindness she saw in their depths. Suddenly her face broke into a huge smile, and she jumped up in excitement, shouting to Stitch "I got it!" to which he cringed in pain from his still-sensitive ears.

"Oh… Sorry." She sheepishly apologized. Stitch glared at her with mock-anger, before cracking a toothy grin and saying "Is okitaka! What do you got?"

Lilo excitedly started explaining to Stitch. "Well, the cousins are all strong, brave, and undoubtedly loyal. You heard the thunder coming, and instead of covering your own ears, you covered Angel's. And just now, you helped me without hesitation."

"Okay." Stitch said calmly, wishing Lilo would get to the point.

"Well, those are all warrior traits!"

"Warrior? So, we are warriors?"

"You are 'like' warriors. As a race, you're all fearless, powerful, and faithful, and you deserve a name that shows it. Maybe… maybe the _'Lahui Koa!' _The warrior people!"

Lilo expectantly looked at Stitch, waiting for his response. He thought about it for a few seconds, and then turned to look at Angel. She had fallen into an anxious sleep, softly murmuring unintelligible words. Stitch smiled warmly, and gently caressed the soft pink fur on her face, tracing the lighter pink fur around her eyes, and then gently stroking one of her long antennae.

"_Lahui Koa_," he said softly.

"We are _Lahui Koa_."


	2. Chapter 1: Aloha kaumaha i ka home

**Here it is! Chapter 1 of "The Exodus." YAY EXPOSITION! Yeah, not a lot happens in this chapter. But I promise that Chapter 2 will be FAR more interesting! Anyway, read and enjoy.**

Damn that incessant beeping, he thought as he was rudely awakened by the disruptive sound. Cracking open his eyes slightly, he glanced around the room as slivers of morning sunlight filtered through the blinds. "Naga…" He grumbled as he rolled over, pulling his large ears over his face to block out the irritating noise. But 5 minutes later and Stitch could still hear the alarm clock wailing away. Finally achieving full consciousness, he realized it wasn't even HIS alarm clock going off.

Yawning loudly, he sat up in his small bed with a massive yawn, stretching his four arms and flexing his back spikes. He slid out of bed and went to the window, squinting his eyes as he opened the blinds. With a drowsy expression weighing down his features, he watched the bustling traffic rush past his window through the endless city. Skyscrapers extended as far as Stitch could see, the more distant ones shrouded in smog. Various vehicles navigated through the tall buildings, like hornets in a hive, each with their own destination and purpose. Deep in his gut Stitch felt an urge to break through the window and smash the city into ruins. But he would never do it. He was good now, and had been for 14 years. He had long learned how to ignore his destructive impulses. Besides, there were other less innocent things he could smash, like that alarm clock for instance.

Grumbling curse words in Tantalog, Stitch sauntered out the door of his personal quarters and into the living room of the small apartment. Everything in the room was a shade of white, from the upholstered carpet, to the simple furniture, to the walls themselves. Everything looked freshly cleaned and polished, just the way it was supposed to be. And Stitch hated it. It lacked personality and warmth, the very things he came to identify as home.

For the past three years he had lived in this humble apartment on the planet Turo, and not a day went by that he didn't miss Kauai. The sound of the ocean, the smell of the forest, the feel of rain against his fur, all this he ached for terribly. Not to mention his family. He knew it would be hard to leave behind Angel and his children for three long years, and indeed it was. The short visits he could schedule in around the holidays were not nearly enough. But he knew he couldn't take them with him; his children needed a safe place to grow and come to understand their abilities. That place was Kauai, not Turo. He still missed them, though. However, his pain would not last much longer. The three years were up, and today was the day he would begin his journey back to his 'ohana.

Still grumpy from his awakening, he dragged his feet across the living room to the other bedroom in the apartment. Opening the door, he grimaced as the sound of the alarm clock buzzed even louder in his sensitive ears. He stepped into the dark bedroom, and gazed upon the scene before him. Lying sprawled across her mattress, mindlessly sleeping through her irritating alarm, the 21-year-old Hawaiian woman drooled onto her pillow, completely unresponsive to the obnoxious noise. Stitch, forgetting his irritation, smirked at the humorous sight. He walked over to her bedside table and wondered if he could get away with smashing the stupid machine. He quickly calculated the chance that she wouldn't notice, and ultimately decided against it, instead simply turning off the device. He'd let her sleep in a little.

Closing her door behind him, Stitch walked across the living room into the kitchen, which was equally white and tasteless. Jumping up onto the counter, he opened the cabinet and pulled out his most precious possession on the planet Turo. Gingerly he set the machine on the counter, and reached into the cabinet to grab a plastic bag filled with a strange dark-brown substance. Opening the top of the machine, he carefully scooped the brown powder into the device, before scurrying across the counter to the sink and filling up a mug with water. He poured the water into the machine, closed the lid, and plugged it into the wall. With a satisfied sigh he listened as the coffee machine did its magic.

He hopped off the counter and onto the kitchen table, plopping himself down in a chair while he waited for his coffee to brew. He could hear the woman roll over in her bedroom, and he smiled to himself. At least he got to spend these three years with Lilo.

She had just turned 18 when the message came from the Grand Councilwoman. After eight years as an honorary member of the Federation Council, Lilo was being offered the opportunity to become a full Councilmember.

Of course, there were some stipulations. First of all, because the Earth was not itself a member of the United Galactic Federation, she would be part of a subcommittee of the Council, which was composed of worlds being prepared for introduction to the galactic community. Secondly, before becoming a full Councilmember, she would need to undergo three years of intensive training and education on the Federation capital world, Turo. And finally, after the three years, she would need to spend another two additional years on the Earth itself, preparing the global population for its incorporation into the Federation.

Lilo of course agreed without hesitation. Choosing a college, let alone a major, had been nothing but frustrating for her. And an opportunity to work for the Federation itself seemed like the perfect career move to her, even if Nani was a bit reluctant. Nani eventually agreed, but on the condition that Stitch accompanied her to Turo. Lilo had no problem with this arrangement, and after consulting her, neither did the Grand Councilwoman. Stitch, however, had a wife and three children to convince. But he knew Lilo needed him to protect her; she couldn't expect to last long on a completely alien world, surrounded by creatures who wouldn't understand exactly how _fragile_ humans could be. Angel understood, even if she wasn't exactly enthusiastic. And thus, Lilo and Stitch set out for the planet Turo, where she would acquire an education in intergalactic politics.

Stitch started to dose off again as he laid his head on the kitchen table. However, the smell of fresh coffee brought him back to consciousness. Leaping from the table, he scurried to the machine on the counter and poured the coffee into a gratuitously-sized mug. Smelling the cherished dark-brown fluid, he took a small sip, enjoying the sensation of the scalding hot liquid sliding down his throat. He relished in the sharp bitter flavor on his tongue, and without further hesitation he downed the whole mug in 3 massive gulps.

Sighing contentedly, he absentmindedly scratched his chest with one of his upper arms, and decided now was a good time to wake up Lilo.

Waking back into her room, he approached the sleeping figure carefully. Reaching out with one of his arms, he gingerly shook Lilo's shoulder. "Lilo," he said softly, "isa time to get up." Lilo muttered nonsense and rolled over to the other side of the bed, pulling a pillow over her head.

But Stitch was determined. Leaping up onto her bed, he pulled the covers off her and said a little more forcefully, "_Lilo_, youga need to get up!" Still Lilo refused to respond, grumbling incoherently under her pillow. The day before had been her graduation ceremony, followed by an after-party that went well into Lilo's normal sleeping hours. It was frustrating living on a world with 36-hour days.

Finally, Stitch's voice became stone-cold serious. He muttered, "Naga make me do it." At this Lilo peeked out from under the pillow. "You wouldn't!" She whispered fearfully. "Meega would," Stitch replied menacingly. At that he leapt onto Lilo and began tickling her ferociously. She tried to defend herself with her pillow, but it was no use; Stitch's extra arms blocked her every blow, and tears began to form in her eyes as she was tickled mercilessly. "Okay! Okay- HAHAHA! STOP! YOU WIN! I'M UP!"

Stitch ceased his assault and stood on the end of the bed triumphantly with his four arms crossed. Lilo glared at him, her disheveled hair framing her face. She threw a pillow at him with a smirk, and climbed out of bed in her silver nightgown. "So," she said once she composed herself, "you seem excited about something. Was there an anarchy festival I wasn't aware of?" Stitch hopped off the bed and onto Lilo's back. "Naga funny, Lilo! We go home today!" Lilo glanced into her friend's eyes over her shoulder. "Indeed we do," she said cheerfully. "But not like this," she glanced down at her nightgown. Smiling mischievously, she pulled him off her back and hoisted him under her left arm. With her free hand she opened the door to her room and unceremoniously tossed him out. "Get out you vermin! I need to change!" she stated before slamming the door.

Muttering in mock-anger, Stitch walked back into the kitchen and ordered himself a plate of fried eggs from the replicator. The replicator could make any food or beverage Stitch or Lilo desired, but he still preferred real, machine-brewed coffee over the stuff the replicator churned out. It somehow tasted, _plastic_, as if something vital was missing from it, even though it was absolutely identical on a molecular level. He supposed it was probably psychological, but he couldn't be bothered to contemplate his mental stability as he wolfed down the steaming eggs. While eating his meal, he could hear Lilo turn on the shower in her bathroom, heard her nightgown slide onto the floor, and heard her inhale sharply as she stepped into the hot water. After finishing his eggs, he leaned over and sniffed the fur on his stomach. Yeah, he could definitely use a shower as well.

Walking back into his bedroom, he opened the door to his private bathroom. He still hated water with an instinctual phobia, but cleanliness was a necessity, and he could endure showers. After all, it was only as bad as getting caught in a rainstorm. Turning on the water, he waited a few seconds for it to reach his desired temperature. Being fireproof, he could withstand fairly high temperatures, and he preferred his water to be practically boiling before he bathed in it. Plus, it cleaned him faster, and thus made his shower as short as possible. Using a special soap Jumba had designed for him, Stitch lathered his fur as the water pounded on his small body. He paid special attention to the little nooks and crannies all over his bizarre physique, such as the space behind his ears, the spaces between his back spines, and the gaps between his arms. He also took the time to clean his reproductive organs, which were normally tucked away in a special sheath between his legs.

Feeling thoroughly cleansed, he turned off the water and stepped into the dryer, which was a contraption specially designed for him. With a loud roar, the floor and ceiling of the dryer blasted Stitch with hot, dry air, while the walls sucked away the water to be recycled into other systems. Using a towel, it could take Stitch up to 40 minutes to dry his beautifully luscious fluffy coat. The dryer reduced that time to about 30 seconds. Now dry and clean, Stitch stepped out of the dryer and used several brushes to comb down his ruffled fur.

Walking back into his room, he pulled on the small black jumpsuit he had laid out the night before, slipping his six limbs into their respective sleeves, and carefully navigating his back spines through the hole on the back of the jumpsuit. Finally, he placed his tiki necklace securely around his neck, the same necklace Lilo had given him 10 years ago. Now dressed, he grabbed the suitcase he had also packed the night before, and carried it into the living room.

Lilo was already waiting for him, lounging in one of the white chairs, her legs crossed and her suitcase on the floor beside her. Her now clean hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like ebony in the sunlight from the window. She was wearing a black jumpsuit like Stitch, with red trim around the collar. In her hand was a tablet, her brow furrowed from the apparently interesting information on the small screen. With a small whiff, Stitch new she had already eaten some waffles for breakfast. She glanced up at him standing in his open doorway, and smiled warmly.

"Ready?" She asked him. "Ih!" He answered excitedly. He hadn't seen his 'ohana since Christmas, and he was itching to leave this terribly boring place behind once and for all. Standing up, she picked up her suitcase, and with a bounce in her step, Lilo led the way to the front door of the apartment, Stitch following her eagerly. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks. "Wait!" He shouted, and Lilo looked after him puzzled as he dashed into the kitchen. She then rolled her eyes as he came back into view carrying his coffee machine under one of his arms.

Giving her a toothy grin, he declared "Now we can go!"

**So, Lilo is now an official member of the Federation Council, and must now tell the world that aliens exist! Wonder how that's going to go... Anyway, thank you for reading, and don't forget to review! I can't get better if I don't know what I'm doing wrong.**


	3. Chapter 2:Heegata no feebee, meega dissy

**Hello there, peoples! I know I haven't updated this story in a long long long LONG time, and for that I apologize. But here it is! Chapter 2! I would like to make a special shout out to Euphonemes for their excellent review of my previous entries. You gave me a lot to think about and I've tried to take your recommendations to heart. Anyway, on to the story!**

Simon Akichata was used to his mother not being home. As he stood in the doorway of the small house his father had built 10 years ago, Simon could tell with one whiff of the air that the creature formerly known as Experiment 624 was absent. Her familiar scent was still present, but it was staler and less pungent than if she had simply been in the other room. But Simon was not concerned; knowing her, she was at an unofficial meeting of the Lahui Council discussing matters that probably weren't as important as some of the ali'i thought they were.

Still, knowing his mother was out past midnight did irk Simon a bit. She worked harder than anyone else on the Council, and didn't get nearly enough time to rest. Simon sighed heavily as he stepped over the threshold into the house.

It was just over 2 thousand square feet, built from palm wood that had been specially treated by some chemical Jumba cooked up that made it perfectly waterproof. The wood was mostly dark in hue and slightly red, with the varying dark and light grains imbedded within easily visible; it almost looked like the quills of a porcupine were pressed into the walls. There were only 4 rooms in the humble building, 3 bedrooms and a kitchen/living space. The outside of the house wasn't exactly pretty. It was short, just over 6 feet in height, with metal paneling on the roof and large gutters to carry away the collected rainwater. One corner of the house was cut diagonally, with a small wooden door built into it. There were no windows, no wires running into or out of the house, and no sign that this was the dwelling place of genetically enhanced creatures other than its small size. It was nestled among other, similar homes in the forest just outside Kokaua Town, and this was the place Simon had grown up in.

The 10-year-old Koan was 3 feet tall, with dark grey fur covering his body from the tips of his large bat-like ears to his flat circular feet. Lighter grey patches of fur circled his black almond-shaped eyes and covered his belly. He had inky black spots running down his spine and the back of his head, finishing off with charcoal on the tips of his ears and an ebony nose. More simply, he looked exactly like his father in every way except color, which was fine by him. His father was a most revered and respected member of Koan society and Simon was pleased that he ended up resembling him so much. In these troubling times, it was nice to receive respect from anyone.

Closing the door behind him, Simon stepped further into the home. Taking another deep breath through his nose and flicking his ears towards a closed door to his left, he registered the steady breathing and heartbeats of his two sleeping siblings; his sisters Kaiulani and Emma. Walking across the creaky wooden floor, Simon plopped himself down onto one of the hand built chairs that sat around the table in the center of the room. Being not nearly as heavy or dense as his parents, the chair hardly strained under Simon's weight. Being a child of 626 and 624 meant that he inherited some, but not all, of his parents' abilities. His senses were just as pronounced as either of his parents; he was bullet proof, fireproof, and he had the brain of a supercomputer. What he lacked was his parents' super strength, which gave them their extreme density and made them sink like stones in water. Simon had also inherited his mother's singing ability, a fact that he preferred to keep to himself. Kaiulani and Emma, on the other hand, had all the abilities of both their parents, as well as being pink and blue respectively.

Alone at the table in the middle of the night, Simon walked over to the wood-burning stove, and lit a fire in its belly with a match he got from the cabinet. He then placed a kettle with water on top and waited for his mother to arrive. He would often do this after he finished work at the sugar mill, and each night she would come home a little later, and a little more tired than she was the day before. Being a member of the Lahui Council wasn't the same job it was 6 years ago.

The Council was formed by Stitch shortly after the birth of Simon and his siblings. Knowing that the Koan population would continue to grow, Stitch decided it would be best to form a small government-like system to deal with the problems that arose with a larger population. The Council was composed of 7 members, each representing the Experiment Series they came from. Each councilmember was given the title of "ali'i" and each series was given a Tantalog name, which also functioned as the surname for all members of that Lahui. For instance, the 2 Series was given the name "Kulibuchi" and selected 221, also known as Sparky, as their ali'i. Simon and his family belonged to the 6 Series, also known as the Akichata Lahui, and his father Stitch served as Akichata Ali'i until he left 3 years ago to accompany Lilo during her stay on Turo. Angel had been serving as acting ali'i in Stitch's absence since then.

In the beginning, the Council was not nearly as stressful as it was today. Discussions usually focused on happy news of growing children and new families, and any debate that occurred centered around which Lahui would host the next social gathering. That all changed in 2008 when the housing market crashed, and suddenly half of Kokaua Town's human residents had their homes foreclosed and were forced to relocate. Prior to this, most of Kokaua Town's humans were used to the Koan presence, and even welcomed it. The Lahui Koa were viewed as a commodity, who helped improve the community and increased tourist activity, boosting the small town's economy. But after the crisis, many of these tolerant people were forced to move away, and their former homes were left empty for 2 years.

When people started moving back to Kokaua Town, they weren't the same ones as before. These were new people, who took advantage of the financial situation to purchase a cheap home in paradise. And for a few short weeks it seemed that things would return to normal. But, they did not. These new residents of Kokaua Town were not used to Koans, and in fact were quite concerned about the strange and fearsome creatures that wandered their streets. Suddenly the Lahui Koa found themselves being shooed away and shunned from places where they had once been accepted. So far nothing approaching violence had come from it, but in the 6 years since then the humans of Kokaua Town became increasingly more hostile, and the Lahui Council suddenly had to deal with the possibility that they were no longer welcome in their own home. And it was getting worse every day.

Finally, after 39 minutes of waiting, and long after the water in the kettle was nice and hot, Simon heard his mother approaching from about a kilometer away. He could hear the shuffling of her feat, and her antennae dragging on the ground behind her; she must have been exhausted.

Acting quickly, he went to the cabinet by the stove and pulled out a small teacup and a box of chamomile tea. The cup was old and milky white without a handle. Blue leaves attached to thin branches were etched into the surface, spreading across the china background like an indigo spider web with morning dew trapped in its threads. Overlaying the gossamer leaves and twigs was Japanese poetry, cascading down the sides of the cup in an elegant display of calligraphy. It had been a baby shower gift for Angel from the late Mrs. Hasegawa, and thus Simon handled the delicate object with immense care. Adding a bag of tea to the cup, he gently poured the hot water from the kettle into its pearly mouth, instantly filling the room with the scent of brewing chamomile.

No less than a minute later and Angel came walking through the door. It was obvious that the past few years had taken its toll on her health. Her once lush pink fur was duller, and less silky. Her long, graceful antennae drooped like she had just come out of a rainstorm. And her black pupil-less eyes showed a weariness that reverberated from deep within her. And yet, despite all this, she still had a strong glow of positivity around her, and the corners of her mouth visibly itched to pull her expression into a warm, loving smile, which they promptly did upon seeing her son waiting for her.

Immediately Simon embraced his mother, breathing in her comforting, familiar scent. He gently asked her "Ashisalam yu? (How are you, mother?)"

Angel withdrew slowly, and responded in a hushed tone. "Meega baak fubu, miki-miki chahua. (I'm very tired and I want to sleep.)" Then she noticed the china cup on the table. "Yooga kechake prepeshee chamomile huziuh? (You made me chamomile tea again?)" "Ih," Simon replied. "It's your favorite."

Angel picked up the cup and inhaled the sweet scent before taking a sip. "Mmmmmm. You're too good to me Simon."

They both sat at opposite ends of the table, Angel continuing to drink slowly from the teacup, and Simon watching her. Finally after several minutes of silence Simon spoke up. "What kept you so late tonight?"

Angel let out a long sigh laced with contemplation and concern. She glanced between the cup in her hands and her son's worried expression. "You know that the mayor of Kokaua Town has retired, yes?" Simon nodded; the old mayor had been one of the few remaining citizens from back when Stitch first landed on the island back in 2002. Angel continued. "His replacement is much younger, much more eager to please his fellow humans. He doesn't much care for us." She paused to take another sip of her tea. "He has informed the Lahui Council that he will be enacting a curfew on all non-human persons by the end of the month. No Koans will be allowed outside their homes past 10."

"What!?" Simon exclaimed. "Aren't there laws against this!?" "Quiet, Simon! You don't want to wake your sisters!" He recoiled a little at his mother's harsher tone. He then tried to regain his composure. "How did the Council respond to the news?"

"Sparky was furious. He talked for over an hour about the injustice of it all. He said that he and his family would not follow the curfew. A lot of the ali'i sympathized with him. I tried to help him see reason. If we rebel against their rules it will only confirm what they already think of us." "But I thought that we governed ourselves. How are the humans going to enforce this curfew? They can't even hurt most of us if they tried. We could tear them to shreds if we so desired." Angel shook her head at this. "That's exactly what Sparky said. 'Humans have no authority over us!'"

"But-"

"Simon. Please try to understand. Resisting won't help anyone. If we fight back, the humans will try to find ways to hurt us, to make us behave."

"We've never had to worry about this before. Why are we bending over to accommodate their fear of us?" "Because they let us live here in the first place. This is their planet, not ours. We are guests, and we must honor the wishes of our host."

Simon glared at the table, feeling anger towards his mother for the first time since he was a child. Then he looked up into her eyes, and saw sadness in her expression. He changed his tone and immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, mother. I know this isn't easy for you. But- there must be _something_ we can do?"

Angel reached out and tenderly caressed her son's face, running her paw up his ear and stroking the nick near the top. "Don't concern yourself with this. Our best action for now is inaction. If Lilo is successful and Earth joins the Federation, intergalactic law will be applied here, and none of this will matter. Now, go to sleep Simon. I'll see you in the morning."

Angel stood up from the table with the teacup still in her paw, her son watching her walk over to the stove and place the cup in a small bin to its side full of other miscellaneous dishes. Then she proceeded to her bedroom door. Before entering, she turned around and looked at her child. "Heegata no feebee, meega dissy. (Don't give up faith, my child.)" Then she closed the door behind her and Simon heard her collapse onto the bed.

Then, with a new sense of weight on his shoulders, Simon stood up and walked over to the stove, closing the vent and extinguishing the embers still inside.

**So, the Koans are starting to feel a bit... oppressed by their human neighbors. Conflict and drama awaits! If you like this, or even if you don't, please write me a review. Remember, I can't get better unless I know what I'm doing wrong. 'till next time!**


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